Organizer system and method for a rotatable storage structure

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates generally to automated distribution systems for storing and retrieving goods. More particularly, the invention relates to a rotatable storage carousel and supporting mechanisms for inserting and extracting containers from the carousel while it remains in continuous motion. The delivery system is designed to deliver goods at rates which exceed the demand of today&#39;s production and warehousing facilities.

This application is a divisional of application Ser. No. 192,419, filedApr. 29, 1988, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,983,091 which is acontinuation-in-part of co-pending application Ser. No. 031,989, filedMar. 30, 1987, now abandoned which in turn was a continuation-in-part ofapplication Ser. No. 732,927, filed May 13, 1985 (now abandoned); Ser.No. 824,718, filed Jan. 31, 1986 (now abandoned).

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to automated distributionsystems for storing and retrieving goods. More particularly, theinvention relates to a rotatable storage carousel and supportingmechanisms for inserting and extracting containers from the carouselwhile it remains in continuous motion. The delivery system is designedto deliver goods at rates which exceed the demand of today's productionand warehousing facilities.

Many modern production and warehousing facilities require the storageand retrieval of thousands of inventoried items. Often goods must bestored in bins or containers due to their size or delicate construction.Therefore, storage requires loading the containers and delivering themto a known location where they can later be retrieved as necessary. Whenan order is received, the desired items must be retrieved from theirrespective positions and kited, prepared for shipping, or otherwise putto use. An efficient storage operation requires the ability to bothstore and retrieve a wide variety of goods and to rapidly andeffectively dispose of the retrieved items. Heretofore, a wide varietyof warehousing/distribution systems have been proposed to reduce thelabor required in warehousing operations. However, few systems haveaddressed both the storage and production requirements for a globaldistribution solution.

Conventional storage and retrieval systems utilize large multi-levelfixed storage shelves in combination with an extractor or pickingmechanism that must travel to a particular shelf to pick the desiredinventory item. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,402,835 and 3,402,836 showsystems in which a mobile unit traverses along a series of stationaryvertical racks. The mobile unit is equipped with means for loading andunloading the vertically based storage racks. Such systems have severaldrawbacks. Initially, they are limited to a small number of insertion orextraction transactions each time the extractor is operated due to theneed to move the picking mechanism after each insertion or extractionoperation. Additionally such systems traditionally have fixed locationsfor storing each type of goods received within the warehouse. Thisprohibits efficient space utilization since the fixed location occupiesthe same amount of space regardless of whether a particular inventorieditem has two stock units or 2000. Indeed typical warehouses having suchfixed space utilization tend to have only about 25% of their usablestorage space filled at any given time. Therefore, such systems areextremely wasteful of valuable building space.

More recently, storage structures have been proposed that include amovable multi-tiered storage carousel having a large number of arrays ofvertically spaced container racks arranged to form a continuoushorizontally operating rack assembly which travels about a continuoushorizontal track. Representative storage carousels are disclosed in U.S.Pat. Nos. 4,561,820, 4,422,554, and 3,780,852. However, such systemshave numerous drawbacks which limit their feasibility in high volumeoperations. Most notably, in order to insert a container onto, orextract a container from a rack on the storage carousel, the carouselmust be stopped adjacent to the insertion and extraction mechanism andthe container disengaged or inserted. The time required to start andstop the carousel inherently limits the speed at which containerinsertion and extraction operations may occur. Additionally, therequirement of repeatedly starting and stopping a carousel which maycarry on the order of 700,000 tons of material, can be extremely taxingin terms of both power requirements, component wear and drive motorlife. Further, it is difficult to stop such a massive structure withenough control to precisely position the containers for either insertionor extraction. Therefore, there is a need for an improved automatedstorage and retrieval system having a storage carousel that may remainin continuous motion while container are inserted into or extracted fromits storage racks.

The approach disclosed herein includes an automated storage carouselthat dispenses with the need for stopping and starting the rack assemblyfor loading and unloading containers from the storage racks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Therefore, it is a primary objective of the present invention to providea new and improved system for storage and retrieval of inventoried itemsin great quantities and varieties.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved inserter andextractor assemblies for a rotational storage carousel that facilitateloading and unloading containers from the carousel while the carouselremains in continuous motion.

Another object of the invention is to provide an organizer systemcapable of inserting and extracting multiple containers simultaneouslyto different carousel tiers.

Another object of the invention is to provide a storage system thatincorporates a relatively simple hanger arrangement for holdingcontainers stored thereon.

Another object of the invention is to provide a storage system whereinthe loading and unloading operations are synchronized with movements ofthe carousel to prevent the destruction of containers in the event of anunexpected system shutdown or failure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a control system forautomatically inserting various containers onto racks on a rotatablestorage carousel and remembering the location of the stored items.

Another object of the invention is to provide a storage system capableof handling containers sized sufficiently large to receive the vastmajority of inventoried parts, thus facilitating the kiting and/orconsolidation of complete orders.

Another object of the invention is to provide a storage system whereinthe contents of the storage carousel may be continually checked.

Another object of the invention is to provide a storage facilitycontroller incorporating a highly distributed network of controllersthat eliminate the need for priority interrupts.

To achieve the foregoing and other objects and in accordance with thepurpose of the present invention a distribution system is provided thatincludes a storage carousel for receiving and storing containers adaptedto carry material goods. The carousel includes a multiplicity ofconnecting rack arrays arranged in side-by-side fashion. Each of therack arrays include a plurality of vertically spaced container racks forsupporting selected containers, with the container racks from variousrack arrays being arranged in a plurality of tiers. Means are alsoprovided for forming a continuous track and rotating the rack arraysabout the continuous track.

A lift including a vertically traveling endless loop having an up travelreach and a down travel reach is provided for carrying the container tothe various carousel tiers. A plurality of platforms for supportingindividual containers are uniformly spaced about the endless loop. Eachcarousel tier is provided with inserter and extractor assembliessuitable for loading and unloading containers from the various rackswhile the carousel remains in continuous motion.

In one of the preferred embodiments of the invention, a holding sectionhaving a plurality of vertically spaced holding shelves is provided forreceiving containers from the lift, temporarily holding the receivedcontainers and transferring the received container to an associatedinserter assembly. The shelves of the holding section are spacedsubstantially the same as the spacing between the lift platforms.

In another preferred embodiment, each container support rack includes anarticulated attachment means and each of the containers include acontainer attachment means for releasably hooking the container onto aparticular rack in a cantilevered manner.

In yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention, anautomated control system is provided for a storage system that includesa storage facility controller for managing the activities of the storagesystem. The storage facility controller maintains a storage record thatremembers the identity and storage position of each of the containersstored within its control. A plurality of storage facility controllersare provided to manage the activities of a particular storage carousel.The carousel controllers communicate with the storage facilitycontroller over a first local area network. Each carousel controller inturn directs a plurality of logic boards that direct specific mechanicaland electrical componants of the carousel. Each carousel controllercommunicates with its logic boards over a second local area network. Ina preferred aspect of the control system, a plurality of interface boardare provided that act as temporary information storage buffers betweeneach carousel controller and its associated logic boards.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a diagramatic plan view of a materials distribution systemthat incorporates a multi-level storage carousel in accordance with thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic plan view of the insert/extract organizerinterposed between a corresponding end of a multi-level horizontallyrotating storage system and a related conveyor array.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a representative storage facility controlsystem.

FIG. 4 is an end elevational view on the line 4--4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an elevational view on the line 5--5 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 is an elevational view on the line 6--6 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7a is an enlarged elevational view of the lower portion of FIG. 5at a mid-position of operation.

FIG. 7b is an enlarged elevational view of the upper portion of FIG. 5at a mid-position of operation.

FIG. 8a is an enlarged elevational view partially broken away on theline 8a--8a of FIG. 3.

FIG. 8b is an enlarged elevational view partially broken away on theline 8b--8b of FIG. 3.

FIG. 9 is a top plan view on the line 9--9 of FIG. 5b.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view on the line 10--10 of FIG. 7b.

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary view partially broken away at the left side ofFIG. 8a with operating parts in a lowermost position.

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view on the line 12--12 of FIG. 8b.

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional view on the line 13--13 of FIG. 8a.

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional view on the line 14--14 of FIG. 11.

FIG. 15 is a top plan view of one of the platforms taken, for example,on the line 15--15 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 16 is a side elevational view partially broken away taken on theline 16--16 of FIG. 15.

FIG. 17 is an inside end view on the line 17--17 of FIG. 16.

FIG. 18 is a fragmentary side elevational view of portions of thevertical transfer unit of FIG. 4, taken on the line 18--18 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 19 is a plan view on the line 19--19 of FIG. 18.

FIG. 20 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view on the line 20--20 of FIG.19 with the barrier lowered.

FIG. 21 is a view similar to FIG. 20 with the barrier raised.

FIG. 22 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a portion of theinsert holding section on the line 22--22 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 23 is a plan view on the line 23--23 of FIG. 22.

FIG. 24 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view on the line 24--24 of FIG.23.

FIG. 25 is a plan view of the approach mechanism at the insert end ofone of the levels of the multi-level horizontally rotating storagesystem in the area of the bracket 25 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 26 is a fragmentary elevational view of a lift cylinder on the line26--26 of FIG. 25.

FIG. 27 is a fragmentary elevational view of another lift cylinder onthe line 27--27 of FIG. 25.

FIG. 28 is a cross-sectional view on the line 28--28 of FIG. 25.

FIG. 29 is a cross-sectional view on the line 29--29 of FIG. 25.

FIG. 30 is a cross-sectional view on the line 30--30 of FIG. 25.

FIG. 31 is a cross-sectional view on the line 31--31 of FIG. 25.

FIG. 32 is a side elevational view of the guide at the outlet end of theapproach mechanism on the line 32--32 of FIG. 25.

FIG. 33 is a plan view on the line 33--33 of FIG. 32.

FIG. 34 is a cross-sectional view on the line 34--34 of FIG. 33.

FIG. 35 is a cross-sectional view on the line 35--35 of FIG. 33.

FIG. 36 is an elevational cross-sectional view of a portion of theapproach mechanism on the line 36--36 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 37 is an elevational view on the line 37--37 of FIG. 36.

FIG. 38 is a plan view of the removal mechanism at the extract end ofone of the levels of the multi-level horizontally rotating storagesystem in the area of the bracket 36 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 39 is a cross-sectional view at the entry and of the removalmechanism on the line 39--39 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 40 is a horizontal view on the line 40--40 of FIG. 39.

FIG. 41 is a view of the left end portion of FIG. 39 showing the partsin a different position.

FIG. 42 is a cross-sectional view on the line 42--42 of FIG. 41.

FIG. 43 is a fragmentary elevational view of the lift cam on the line43--43 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 44 is an elevational view substantially broken away on the line44--44 of FIG. 43.

FIG. 45 is a fragmentary elevational view of the lift cam of FIG. 43with the parts in a different position.

FIG. 46 is an elevational view of the latch release and kick-outmechanisms located above the lift cam of FIG. 43.

FIG. 47 is an elevational view on the line 47--47 of FIG. 46.

FIG. 48 is a plan view on the line 48--48 of FIG. 47.

FIG. 49 is an enlarged plan view similar to FIG. 48.

FIG. 50 is a fragmentary plan view of the upper end of FIG. 49 withportions removed for clarity.

FIG. 51 is a cross-sectional view on the line 51--51 of FIG. 50.

FIG. 52 is a cross-sectional view on the line 52--52 of FIG. 49 showinga latched position.

FIG. 53 is a cross-sectional view on the line 53--53 of FIG. 49 showinga retracted position of parts.

FIG. 54 is a view similar to FIG. 52 showing an unlatched position.

FIG. 55 is a view similar to FIG. 53 showing a kick-out position ofparts.

FIG. 56 is a perspective view of a suitable container.

FIG. 57 is a plan view of the container hooking arrangement.

FIG. 58 is a side view of the container hooking arrangement shown inFIG. 57.

FIG. 59 is a fragmentary elevational view of an alternative embodimentof the invention, partially in section.

FIG. 60 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view on the line 60--60 of FIG.59.

FIG. 61 is a plan view of the alternative extractor assembly andapplicable portion of the motorized carousel.

FIG. 62 is a plan view of a part of the alternative inserter assemblyand applicable portion of the motorized carousel.

FIG. 63 is a cross-sectional view of a clutch on the line 63--63 of FIG.68.

FIG. 64 is a side elevational view of the clutch device.

FIG. 65 is a cross-sectional view on the line 65--65 of FIG. 64.

FIG. 66 is a view similar to FIG. 63 showing the clutch device in adifferent attitude of operation.

FIG. 67 is a fragmentary plan view, similar t FIG. 62, but showing asuccessive step in the loading operation.

FIG. 68 is a cross-sectional view on the line 68--68 of FIG. 67.

FIG. 69 is a fragmentary plan view of portions of the inserter andextractor assemblies with the inserter assembly in still a furtheradvanced stage of operation.

FIG. 70 is a fragmentary plan view similar to FIG. 69, but showing astill further advance in the operation.

FIG. 71 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view on the line 71--71 of FIG.70.

FIG. 72 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view on the line 72--72 ofFIG. 71.

FIG. 73 is a block diagram of a carousel controller.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The storage and retrieval system of the present invention includes aplurality of components adapted to integrate the loading and unloadingof containers onto rotary storage carousels that remains in continuousmotion. The storage and retrieval system includes one or moremulti-level storage carousels 2, each having an associated lift 4,together with a plurality of inserter assemblies 6 and extractorassemblies 8.

In an embodiment of the invention chosen for the purpose ofillustration, there is shown in FIG. 1, a rotational storage carousel 2forming a horizontally traveling endless conveyor that carries aplurality of rack arrays 10 about an oval track. Each rack array 10,includes a plurality of vertically spaced container storage racks 12.The rack arrays 10 are arranged in side-by-side relationship so thattheir respective racks are arranged in tiers, one above another assuggested in FIG. 1. The rack arrays 10 are parallel to each other andthe racks in the various tiers are aligned perpendicularly with respectto the ground.

A suitable frame structure is provided to support the multiple tiers ofstorage racks. Each storage carousel includes an upper track and amatching lower track. The tracks for each carousel are identical andcontinuous, oval-like in shape with rounded ends and parallel sides. Therack arrays are moved along the racks by a plurality of electrically orhydraulically operated motor (not shown). For a more detailedunderstanding of how a suitable rotating storage carousel may beconstructed, reference is made to an acceptable structure as disclosedin U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,554. Thus, by way of example, each rack array 10may include a pair of spaced columns attached to the frame and ontowhich a plurality of latching mechanisms are placed to form portions ofthe vertically spaced racks 12. In a carousel eight tiers high with therack arrays on 40 inch centers and rated to hold 500 pounds per rackthree 5 hp motors spaced along the carousel are suitable to drive thecarousel at speeds up to 50 feet per minute. In a preferred embodimentan idler drive is also provided to facilitate attaching another motor todrive the carousel should the needs of the system call for a backupmotor.

At one end of the storage carousel 2, a lift 4 is provided for carryingcontainers 13 to and from each of the rack tiers. Each tier has anassociated inserter assembly 6 and an extractor assembly 8. As seen inFIG. 2, the insertion and extraction may all take place on one end ofthe storage carousel. However, it should be appreciated that if demandis expected to be particularly heavy, higher picking volumes can beobtained by adding additional inserter and/or extractor assemblies tothe opposite end of the carousel.

A conveyor network 14 is provided to carry containers 13 between thestorage structure and various work stations (not shown) wherein thecontainers may be accessed by an operator. Specifically, containers 13are transported to the storage structure via supply conveyor 15, whiletake-away conveyor 16 carries extracted containers away from the storagestructure to the conveyor network.

GENERAL OPERATION OF THE SYSTEM

Assuming, by way of explanation, that operation of the system commenceswith the insertion of containers 13 into the system, containers 13 aredelivered to the storage carousel 2 via supply conveyor 15. As thecontainers arrive, they are first passed through one or more holdingstations 18 before being delivered to a platform 29 on lift 4. Theholding stations act essentially as a queue for temporarily holdingcontainers until an empty lift platform is positioned adjacent the finalholding station and ready to receive the container located thereon.Additional holding stations would in effect serve as an extension of the"queue." Holding stations are desirable since containers are likely tobe delivered to the storage carousel at random time intervals forinsertion.

Once a container has been deposited onto a lift platform 29, it iselevated to inserter assembly 6 corresponding to the carousel tier atwhich the container is to be placed. The container is then off-loadedonto a shelf portion of the inserter assembly 6. The actual constructionof the lift assembly may be widely varied, with suitable structuresbeing disclosed below. The container is held within the inserterassembly until an empty rack passes by. When an empty rack passes, thecontainer is attached to the rack without requiring the carousel to stopor even slow down.

Each time a container is inserted, the rack position (by tier and rackarray) at which the container is stored is recorded so that thecontainer can be accessed at any desirable time in the future. Acomputerized storage facility controller maintains a storage recordindicating the position at which each particular container is placed onthe storage carousel. When a request is made for goods stored within aparticular container, the controller determines the container holdingthe desired goods by checking an inventory record. Once the identity ofthe desired container is determined, the storage record is searched todetermine the specific rack position at which the container is held.When a request is placed for a particular container, the extractorassembly waits until the rack 12 that holds the desired container passesby. As the rack passes by, the container is detached from the rack andpulled into the extractor assembly 8. The container is maintained withinthe holding section 23 of extractor assembly 8 until a suitable openingoccurs on a lift platform 29 (which will be moving along a down traveledreach), and the container can be moved onto the lift 4. The lift carriesthe containers to a take-away conveyor 16 which delivers the containersto the conveyor network 14.

Presence scanners 20 (FIG. 1) may be positioned throughout the system todetect the presence or absence of containers at each critical position.For example, scanners 20 are provided to monitor each of the holdingstations, and at each tier level of the lift on both the up travel anddown travel reaches. The presence scanners would thus provide the systemcontroller with important feedback as to the position of the containersit controls. It will be appreciated, for example, that if a particularlift platform 29, holding station 18, inserter assembly 6 or extractorassembly 8 is full, then the system must be disabled to the extent thatno other containers will be directed toward that particular unit untilit has sufficient room. Thus, the presence scanners 20 are intended toprevent the system from overrunning itself.

One or more identification scanners 22 (see FIG. 1) may also be disposedthroughout the system to read the identifying indicia 23 (see FIG. 56)on the sides of the containers 13. Specifically, it is desirable toidentify the containers as they approach the storage carousel, sincethey are likely to be delivered on a random basis. Further, a pluralityof identification scanners 22 are preferably positioned to viewcontainers carried by the storage carousel 2 just after each inserterassembly to verify the identify of the specific containers carried bythe carousel. Such scanners also are effective to rapidly reidentify thecontainers stored on the carousel in the event that the systemcontroller loses its data indicative of the carousel's contents.

It will be appreciated that a wide variety of automated controllerscould be developed to drive the disclosed warehousing structure. A goodcontrol system must lend itself to a modular construction so that if andwhen the needs of the distribution system change (the desired volumeoften tends to rise), additional storage carousels or insertion andextraction mechanisms may be added to the system with little or nochange to the system software. Further, it is contemplated that thestorage structure of the present invention may be incorporated into afully automated distribution system. An exemplary distribution systemsuitable for incorporating the storage structure of the presentinvention is disclosed in co-pending application Ser. No. 158,310, filedFeb. 22, 1988, (System for Delivery). Therefore, the controller isadapted to lend itself to modular integration with other components ofan automated distribution system.

Activities relating to the storage structure are controlled by a storagefacility controller 370 (FIG. 3) that is responsible for rememberingwhich of the containers are within its possession, the storage carouselupon which each of the containers 13 are hung and the actual position,(by tier and rack number) of which the container is stored.Additionally, the storage facility controller is responsible forcoordinating communications with external systems as well as overseeingthe insertion and extraction of containers from the various carousels.

A representative embodiment of the storage carousel control system isshown in FIG. 3. As seen therein, the storage facility controllermanages a plurality of carousel controllers 380, 381, each of which isassociated with a particular storage carousel 2, 2', etc. The storagefacility controller 370 may be either an integrated computer that isdirectly accessible by the user to input orders and the like, or it maycommunicate with an external master controller and/or other componentsas described in the previously mentioned co-pending Application.Typically, container requests would be generated either internally orexternally in the form of an extended list of desired containers,together with an indication of the number of containers to be providedat any given time. It will be appreciated that the acceptable containerlist can be extended and considerably longer than the actual number ofcontainers desired. Of course in an alternative embodiment, individualrequests for particular containers could be made.

When an extraction request is made, the storage facility controller 370surveys the storage records to determine where the requested containersare positioned within the various storage carousels 2, 2'. Then, knowingthe positions of the requested containers, the pending extractionrequirements and the openings on lift 4, the storage facility controllerdecides which of the listed containers is easiest to access and shouldbe provided. The storage facility controller then sends an extractioncommand to the carousel controller associated with the storage carouselthat holds the desired container. The message indicates to the carouselcontroller only that the container in a particular storage rack shouldbe removed. The carousel controller 380 issues appropriate signals tocause an extraction of the desired container. It then reports to thestorage facility controller 370 whether or not the extraction wassuccessful.

To ensure that the storage facility controller 370 has the latestinformation about the contents of the storage carousels 2, the pluralityof identification scanners 22 are provided as previously described toread the identifying indicia 23 attached to the sides of containers 13.The identification scanners are preferably disposed just after theinserter assemblies to verify insertion and extraction events. Each timea rack array 10 passes by the identification scanners 22, the identityof the containers is reported to the carousel controller 380, which inturn reports both the container numbers and the storage rack positionsto the storage facility controller 370.

The carousel controllers 380, 381 each control the detailed operationsof their associated storage carousel 2, along with its associatedinserter assemblies 6, extractor assemblies 8, and lift 4.

The containers 13 are preferably open boxes that are sized appropriatelyto receive stored goods. A representative container 13 is shown in FIG.56. In the embodiment described, the containers 13 are adapted to behung on carousel storage racks 12. The containers are preferablysubstantially square so that they may be hung on the racks in anyorientation. They are sized to suit the needs of the particular storageapplication. The containers must be large enough to hold reasonablequantities of the inventoried goods, yet they must be small enough sothat an operator can readily pick the goods therefrom. By way ofexample, 36×36×21" containers are suitable for most consumer productapplications. In applications where extremely small parts or smallnumbers of each item are inventoried, smaller containers on the order of24×24×12" would be appropriate.

The containers 13 may be formed from a molded fiberglass reinforcedresin material. As seen in FIG. 56, a suitable container 13 includes anupper rim 630 having a pair of shoulders 632 formed at each of its uppercorners. The shoulders 632 are formed by a gradual depression or notch155 in the upper rim 630. The shoulder arrangement lends itself to whatmay be described as a cantilevered support by the racks of the storagecarousel as described below.

Each container has an identifying indicia 23 that individuallyidentifies the particular container. By way of example, the containersmay be numbered sequentially with the numbers being applied in bar codedform to each exterior corner of the container. Bar code labels may bereadily printed and adhered to the four corners of the container. It isdesirable to label each corner that a single scanner can identify thecontainer regardless of its orientation as it passes by the scanner.With larger containers it also may be desirable to control theorientation of the container when it is presented to an operator. Insuch systems, the bar code labels would further identify each particularcorner so as to allow the work system controller to rotate the containerin a manner such that the material to be removed from or inserted intothe container is always facing the operator.

In most warehousing operations, the sizes of stored goods will varywidely. Thus, for compatibility relatively large containers are used sothat only one or two container sizes need be handled by the warehousingsystem. To minimize the empty shelf space, many of the containers wouldbe subdivided into multiple compartments 627 by placing wall inserts 628into the containers. Generally, there would be containers having a widerange of compartment sizes within the warehousing system, with theactual number of containers having a given compartment size beingentirely dependent on the nature of the goods being stored. To maximizeflexibility, walled inserts 628 may be removable so that the number ofcompartments within any container may be readily altered. To facilitateautomatic control, each compartment 627 has a specific designation.

VERTICALLY TRAVELING LIFT ASSEMBLY

The lift 4 is adapted to deliver containers from the supply conveyor 15to the inserters 6 and to carry extracted containers from the extractors8 to the take-away conveyor 16 as can be seen with reference to FIG. 1.Particulars of a preferred embodiment of the lift chosen for the purposeof illustration are shown in FIG. 4-17. As shown therein, the lift iscontained by a frame 30 that rides on a base 31. The frame stands overpit 32 below the supporting surface 33 for the base 31. A plurality ofplatforms 29 are arranged about a compression chain 34 (see FIGS. 16-17)to travel vertically in an endless loop. Compression chain 34 iscomprised of a plurality of links in the form of an endless loopseparated by pivot structures 35 of substantially conventional design.The links are joined by sphereical bearings formed of hardened steel tolimit wear. The inside end of each platform 29 is anchored by means of abeam 38 to a midportion of an associated link 34 in a cantileveredfashion. The platforms are evenly spaced about the chain at intervalsequal to the distance between tiers on the storage carousel. With such aconstruction, the lift may be stopped with each of the platforms 29 onan up travel reach positioned to deliver a container to an inserter,while platforms on the down travel reach are each positioned to receivecontainers from the extractor. As described below, the drive systemfunctions like a sinusoidal drive to provide accurate positioning of theplatforms without any possibility of either over or under shooting ofthe platforms.

As can best be seen by reference to FIGS. 15 and 16, the pivotstructures 35 travel in guideways 36 carried by columns 37 of the frame30. It is significant to note that the containers 13 are adapted totravel on the platforms 29 only through the respective up travel anddown travel reaches, but are not carried over from one reach to theother at either the top or the bottom of the lift. Clearance for theplatforms 29 as they pass about the bottom pivot structure 35 isprovided by the pit 32. It will be appreciated, however, that theclearance could be provided in many other ways as well. For example, thebase 31 could be made of sufficient height to provide the necessaryclearance.

Referring specifically to FIG. 15, in the described embodiment, thesurface of platform 29 is provided by plurality of elongate low frictionrollers 39. On the side of the platform facing towards the storagecarousel, (the left side of FIG. 15) there are two sets of shortrollers, namely, the rollers 40 and 41, spaced apart to provide arelatively wide opening 42. On the opposite side of the elongatedrollers, another pair of short rollers 43 and 44 are spaced apart asshown to provide a relatively narrow opening 45. Together, the rollersprovide a low friction supporting surface for the containers 13.Appropriate connecting beams 46 and 47 interconnect an exterior beam 48with the interior beam 38 to support the rollers.

For operating the lift 4 a drive unit 50 is provided in a positionlocated intermediate of the up travel and down travel reaches. The driveunit 50 is activated by a motor 51, the general location of which isshown in FIG. 2 with more pertinent details in FIGS. 5 and 6. The driveunit 50 features a drive disc 52 adjacent the up travel side and drivedisc 53 adjacent the down travel side, both discs being mounted upon anddriven by a drive shaft 54. Power reaches the drive unit 50 by way of adrive shaft 55 from the motor 51. See FIGS. 5 and 8a.

Adjacent the rim of the drive disc 52 (see FIGS. 5 and 7a), a crank arm56 is attached by means of a pivot pin 57. At the opposite end the crankarm 56 is attached to a drive block 58 by means of a pivot pin 59. SeeFIGS. 5 and 7b.

When the platforms 29 on the up travel reach are to be moved upwardly,they are so moved in a step-by-step progression, one step of the traveldistance being the vertical distance between two adjacent platforms.Movement is accomplished by a 180 degree rotation of the drive disc 52on the corresponding side.

In order to interconnect the drive block 58 with the up travel reach, adriver 60 is reciprocatably mounted in the drive block. In the extendedposition shown in FIG. 8b, the driver 60 is adapted to engage theunderside of the interior beam 38 of the platform, as shown in FIG. 6.Movement of the driver 60 between the extended and retracted positionsis accomplished by cam action.

Extending part way around the circumference of the drive disc 52 is acam track 61, the cam track being to a degree oblique with respect toits path of travel around the drive disc. A cam follower 62 equippedwith rollers 63 and 64 follows the path of the cam track as the drivedisc 52 rotates. Motion thus given to the cam follower is picked up by arod 65, the rod 65 being journaled in bearings 66, 66' so that the rodcan rotate about its long axis. See FIGS. 5, 7a and 8a.

The upper end of rod 65 is provided with a laterally extending arm 67,the free end of which is lodged in a notch 68 in the inner end of thedriver 60. See FIG. 12. In this arrangement, rotation of the rod 65 in aclockwise direction, as viewed in FIG. 12, causes the driver 60 to bewithdrawn, whereas counterclockwise rotation causes the driver to beextended to the position of FIGS. 6 and 8b where it underlies one of theplatforms 29. The cam track 61 is so configured that when the drive disc52 has been rotated to the position where the pivot pin 57 andcorresponding lower end of the crank arm 56 is in its lowermostposition, namely, 180 degrees from the position shown in FIG. 5, the camfollower 62 will have been moved to the position wherein the driver 60will have been moved outwardly to a location beneath the correspondingplatform 29. Throughout the succeeding 180 degree rotation of the drivedisc 52, the driver will remain extended as the platform is movedupwardly one step. Once this has been accomplished and the drive disc 52continues in its succeeding 180 degree rotation clockwise, theconfiguration of the cam track is such that the driver is thenwithdrawn.

So that the platform will remain in fixed position at rest during downtravel of the crank arm 56 and its drive block 58, there is provisionfor a stop 70. The stop 70 is adapted to horizontally reciprocate withina jacket 71 attached to a frame section 69 so that the jacket clears thelower most point on the circumference of the drive disc sufficient toaccommodate a second cam track 72. See FIGS. 5, 7a and 8a. Rollers 73,74 attached to the top of the stop 70 and extending through a slot 75 ofthe jacket enable the rollers to follow the configurations of the camtrack 72 so that in the extended position of FIG. 11, the stop ispositioned beneath the corresponding platform 29. The configuration ofthe cam track 72 is made such that the stop 70 continues in thisextended position while the crank arm 56 and its drive block 58 aretraveling from the uppermost position to the lowermost position, therebypreventing platforms 29 on the up travel reach from moving downward.

Once the crank arm 56 begins moving upward, the configuration of thesecond cam track 72 is such that the stop 70 is withdrawn, permittingthe next lower platfrom 29 to pass the stop without obstruction.

The down travel reach is similarly equipped for operation with thecorresponding drive disc 53 accompanied by a crank arm 56' and its driveblock 58' (See p. 19 and FIG. 8a). Adjacent the rim of drive disc 53,crank arm 56 is attached by pivot pin 57 to drive shaft 54. Downwardtravel of the platforms 29 during the down travel reach calls for whatmay be considered as a reverse operative procedure. For this procedure,when the driver 60', which is extended when at the uppermost position ofits stroke, remains extended for the succeeding 180 degrees of rotationof the crank arm 56', until the drive block 58' reaches its lower mostposition. During this period of operation, the driver 60' in effectsupports the load of the corresponding platform 29 while it is beinglowered through one step. Conversely, the driver 60' is withdrawn fromits position beneath the platform and remains withdrawn while the driverand its drive block 58' is being raised again to its uppermost positionfor the succeeding 180 degree travel of the drive disc 53. In withdrawnposition the driver is enabled to bypass the platform which it has justsupported during downward movement and is extended only soon enough tobe able to be moved against the platform next above for its ultimatedescending operation. Operation of the driver 60' is similarlyimplemented by use of a rod 65' rotatably actuated by travel of its camfollower 62' on the cam track 61'.

Also the corresponding side is provided with a stop 70' operable in itsjacket 71' by a second cam track 72' with its corresponding rollers 73',74' acting as its cam follower.

It follows from the foregoing description that when the drive disc 53with its corresponding drive block 58' is moving in a downward directionfor one step, namely, the distance between two successive platforms,platforms on the opposite (up travel) reach are simultaneously moving inan upward direction. The stop 70' in its jacket 71' functions incomparable opposite sequence, being actuated by the second cam track 72'on its rollers 73', 74', serving as the cam follower 62'.

Not previously made reference to is the provision of a pair of shafts75, 76 mounted on the frame to accommodate bushings 77 and 78 which arepart of the drive block 58. Comparable shafts 75', 76', and bushings77', (not shown) 78' are employed on the opposite side to accommodatethe corresponding drive block 58'. See FIGS. 9 and 10.

To add to the stability of the operating parts, there is provided acentrally disposed torque tube 79 which extends upwardly from the driveunit 50 to an uppermost beam 80. The beam is located at the tops ofcorners 81. Another pair of beams 82 provide support for the upperbearings 66' which function to contain the rods 65, 65'.

When containers are delivered to the storage carousel, they arrive onsupply conveyor 15. The supply conveyor includes a plurality of holdingstations 18 which take the form of independently operable power operatedconveyor sections. From the final holding station 18, the containers aredelivered to the lowest lift platform 29 on an up travel reach. Itshould be appreciated that the lowest platform 29 is on the same levelas the supply conveyor.

For transferring containers 13 from the supply conveyor 15 to theappropriate platform 29, there may be provided a belt conveyor assembly90 of a type shown in FIGS. 18 and 19. The belt conveyor assemblyconsists of a pair of left and right-hand belt drives consisting of adrive pulley 91 and two idler pulleys 92 and 93 which carry an endlessbelt 94. A motor 95 with its gear box 96 communicates with a drive shaft97 at the ends of which the drive pulleys 91 are mounted. The idlerpulleys 92, 93 are conventionally mounted on brackets 98, struts 99being employed to hold and separate the two belt drives.

The belt drives are shown schematically in FIG. 2 and are located in aposition so that a level reach 100 of the endless belt 94 extends to aposition underneath the terminal of the supply conveyor 15 on one sideand reaches into the narrow opening 45 of the platform 29, see FIGS. 2and 15. The length of the level reach 100 is made sufficient so thatabundant traction will be applied against the bottom of the containersas they approach the platform so that when the units leave the tractionprovided by the conveyor itself, the containers will be carried to aposition relatively centered upon the platform, as shown in phantom inFIG. 2.

To make certain that containers are not delivered to the lift regionuntil a suitable empty platform is disposed adjacent the supplyconveyor, there is provided an articulated barrier 101. See FIGS. 20 and21. The barrier is pivotally mounted upon the brackets 98 by atransversely extending arm 102 which enables two barriers to beemployed, one on each side. To move the barrier between a withdrawnposition of FIG. 20 and an active position of FIG. 21, there may beprovided a pneumatic cylinder 103, or other appropriate motor power, fordriving a piston 104. The piston in turn is pivotally attached by meansof a pin 105 to a lever arm 106 which, in turn, is attached to thebarrier 101.

A belt conveyor assembly 107 (see FIG. 2) similar to belt conveyorassembly 90 may be employed for removing containers 13 from the platform29 to the inserter assembly at the same level as the supply conveyor.With such a construction, the belt conveyor assembly 107 is permitted tooccupy the wide opening 42 provided for it by the platform constructionas seen in FIG. 15.

As lift platforms 29 travel upwardly from within the pit 32 to thelowermost level of the up travel reach to which reference was just made,the empty platforms clear the adjacent belt conveyor assembly 107because of the clearance provided by the wide opening 42.

After the containers are deposited onto platforms of the vertical lift4, the next step is to transfer them to the appropriate inserterassembly 6. Each inserter assembly includes a holding shelf 110 (seeFIG. 5) adapted to receive containers from a platform adjacent theinserter assembly and temporarily hold them in a position that is freefrom interference with either the vertical lift 4 or the storagecarousel 2. The level of the lowermost of the shelves 110 is coincidentwith the level of a platform 29 which is not only at the lowermost levelof the up travel reach, but is also coincident with the level of thesupply conveyor 15. In systems likely to encounter particularly heavyuse, it may be desirable to provide each inserter assembly with a pairof adjacent holding shelves 110. Each of the shelves 110 forms a shortindependently operable conveyor array. From the shelf 110, thecontainers are passed into an approach section 19 in the form of a shortpower-operated conveyor. Thereupon the approach section functions tomove the container 13 into position on an appropriately available rack12 on storage carousel 2. Since there is a shelf 110 and accompanyingapproach section 19 available for each and every one of the multiplestorage carousel tiers, the containers 13 can be inserted onto any rackat any level of the storage carousel.

After a container 13 has been properly positioned on a platform asdescribed above, it may either be immediately removed from the platformby action of the second belt conveyor assembly 107 and transferred tothe shelf 110 of the lowermost inserter assembly 6 or it may be carriedby the lift to a higher tier. If the container is destined for a rack ona higher tier, the container is carried by the lift 4 to the appropriatecarousel tier. A different mechanism is provided for unloadingcontainers onto succeeding upper shelves 110.

For the upper inserter assemblies, a mechanism found workable for movingcontainers from the platform far enough to reach the adjacent shelf 110is embodied in an articulated transfer assembly 111, there being such atransfer assembly for each of the upper inserter assemblies 6. Referringnext to FIGS. 1 and 5, the transfer assemblies 111 are locatedsuccessively one above another outside of the lift 4. As seen in FIG. 5,the transfer assemblies 111 appear on the right side of the lift 4 andincludes a rack 112 that is pivotally attached to the frame at pivotpoint 113. A push rod 114 has a scissors-like pivotal attachment 115 tothe rack 112. In a motor powered embodied of the transfer assembly, apneumatic ram 116 has its piston 117 attached to the push rod 114 sothat when the piston is extended, the push rod engages the adjacent sideof the container 13 which can then be pushed far enough off the platformto be engaged by substantially conventional power actuated tractionrollers 118 on the shelf 110.

After the container has been discharged, the transfer assembly is thencollapsed by reverse action of the pneumatic ram so as to be clear ofsucceeding platforms as they are moved upwardly through their up travelreach. An appropriate energizable detainer 119 (FIG. 1) may be employedon the shelf to detain the container on the shelf until it is timely toinsert the container onto an empty rack of the rotary storage carousel.

It should be appreciated that the detailed construction of the lift canbe widely varied within the scope of the present invention. Othersuitable lift constructions are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,175,issued June 21, 1988 and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No.824,718 filed Jan. 31, 1986, now abandonded. In application Ser. No.824,718, which is incorporated herein by reference, a lift is disclosedhaving platforms comprised of a plurality of cantilevered power operatedrollers. Thus, to load or unload the lift, the power operated rollersare actuated. Since the rollers are power operated, the lowermost tierincludes a plurality of power operated loading rollers cantilevered inan opposing fashion to the lift platform and positioned such that thelift platform will pass therethrough. The loading rollers facilitatetransferring containers between the lift and the supply and takeawayconveyors.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,752,175 discloses yet another lift construction. Theplatforms for the lift disclosed therein form tilted shelves that eachinclude a plurality of low friction rollers and power operated endblocker. Thus, when a container is loaded onto the lift, it is gravitymotivated to roll freely over low the friction rollers until abutsagainst the power operated blocker. The container is then carried to theappropriate level and the power operated blocker is dropped therebydischarging the container onto the desired inserter assembly. The liftcan readily be adapted to carry two or more containers per platformlevel merely by extending its length and placing the appropriate numberof independently operable power operated intermediate blockers instrategic locations on the platform. It should be appreciated that whenunloading a container from a platform holding two or more containers,the end blocker would be dropped first to allow the end container to bedischarged. The end blocker would then be raised back up before theintermediate blocker is dropped to allow the container it is holding toslide into the end position.

INSERTION PROCEDURE

To insert a container 13 located within the inserter assembly onto anapproaching empty rack 12 on the carousel, the container called for istransferred from the holding shelf 110 to the approach section 19immediately downstream of the holding section. To achieve the transfer,the detainer 119 is removed and the traction rollers of the shelf 110move the container downstream until the container is engaged bycomparable power actuated traction rollers 125 of the approach section.See FIGS. 2 and 25. The traction rollers 125 are carried by anappropriate tilt table 124.

Referring next to FIGS. 25-36, the operation of the traction rollers 125will be described. The traction rollers are interconnected via gearing126 which serves to drive the rollers 125. Gearing 126 is driven by agear box 127 to which driven shaft 128 is connected. The gear box 127 inturn is powered by a drive shaft 129 that is driven by a power source130 which drives the storage carousel. The interconnection between thepower source 130 and the tractions rollers 125 serves the importantfunction of insuring that the rate of travel of containers within theapproach section 19 always matches the rate of travel of racks on thestorage carousel as they pass an outlet end 131 of the approach section19 ready for insertion. Extension drive shafts 129' serve gear boxes127' at other levels. To be certain that the containers leaving theapproach section will be in alignment with the appropriate rack andclose enough for effective engagement, there is provided an obliqueguide strip 132 and an interconnecting parallel guide strip 133. Byvirtue of its obliquity the oblique guide strip 132 physically directscontainers propelled by the traction rollers 125 to a proper positionwith respect to the storage carousel.

Referring next to FIGS. 22, 23, and 25, the approach section includesseveral features that facilitate attaching containers to the storagecarousel racks. One of these features is embodied in lift bars 134 and135. The lift bars are mounted on lift shafts 136 on the frame of theapproach section. The lift bars are mounted sufficiently eccentric suchthat they are tiltable to the position shown in FIG. 22 so as to liftthe container clear of the traction rollers 125. The lifting action isprovided for by a reciprocating motor such as, for example, a pneumaticcylinder 137 and its piston 138. The piston is connected throughappropriate brackets to tilt levers 139 anchored to tilt shafts 140eccentric with respect to the center of rotation of the lift shaft 136.The two levers 139 and tilt shafts 140 are interconnected through aconnecting lever 141 as seen in FIGS. 22 and 23.

Upon operation of the pneumatic cylinder 137 in the chosen embodiment,the container can be lifted clear of the traction rollers 125 and thusbe enabled to remain stationary while the traction rollers continue inoperation at full speed. Conversely, when the pneumatic cylinder ismanipulated to reverse operation of the lift shafts thereby lowering thecontainer into engagement with the traction rollers 125, the containerwill be propelled at full speed direction towards the carousel (fromright to left as seen in FIGS. 22, 23 and 25).

The tilt table 124 is adapted to lift the inside edge of the containerabove the level of the positioning strip 150 on carousel rack 12 as isbest shown in FIGS. 28-30. It is desirable to lift the container abovethe positioning strip to eliminate friction as the container is pressedinto engagement with the rack by guide strip 133, as well as to reducewear on the bottom of the container. It should be appreciated that thetilt table must be lifted only during insertion proceedures. Otherwise,loaded containers on the following racks would strike the tilt table asthey pass thereover. To facilitate lifting the inside edge, a pneumaticcylinder 145 is mounted between the tilt table and a section 146 of theframe on the approach end of the tilt table. At the opposite end, asecond pneumatic cylinder 147, also mounted on the tilt table 124, ispositioned to bear downwardly against its adjacent section 148 of theframe as can be seen in FIG. 25. When a container is directed onto thetilt table, the controller actuates cylinders 145 and 147 thereby lifingthe inside edge of the tilt table. The actual height of the tilt tablemay readily be adjusted through adjusting the heights of pneumaticcylinders 145 and 147. The extensons of the two cylinders are adjustedsuch that cylinder 147 tilts the table by an amount greater than thatprovided by the cylinder 145 thereby facilitating a smooth transitionbetween the rollers of the holding section and those of the approachsection.

The combined effect that the tilt tables and oblique guide strip 132impart on the containers is shown in FIGS. 28-30. Together they alignthe container 13 with a positioning strip 150 which is part of thestructure of carousel racks 12. As the container 13 is moved in thedirection of the storage rack 12, it is not only moved laterally (FIGS.28 and 29), but it is also lifted vertically so that the level of thebottom of the container reaches above the level of the positioning strip150, as in FIG. 30. After the container has been inserted, cylinders 145& 147 are deactivated and the tilt table is returned to its withdrawnposition thereby allowing containers carried by the following racks tosmoothly pass thereover.

As the container leaves the downstream end of the tilt table 124, (FIG.25) it is propelled by the trailing rack column 215 (FIG. 57) into aposition of engagement with a carrier leg 152 and a vertical leg 151 ofthe parallel guide strip 133. Various movements of the container may beaccomplished by the guide strip 133. By having the guide strip pitchedobliquely upwardly by an amount suggested by the angle "b" in FIG. 33,the level of the bottom of the container 13 may be brought approximatelyeven with the level of the rack where the adjacent edge approaches thepositioning strip 150. Also, a vertical leg 151 disposed at a rightangle relative to the carrier leg 152 is directed laterally toward thecarousel by an amount suggested by the angle "a" in FIG. 32. In additionthe leg 152 is provided with a leaf spring 153. Referring also to FIG.46, the purpose of the leaf spring is to shift the container 13laterally toward the location of the positioning strip 150 so thatproper engagement can be made between latching means 154 of the rack,and complementary notches 155 at the top of the adjacent wall of thecontainer 13.

In the embodiment described, the latching means 154 takes the form ofhooks 212 mounted on each carousel storage rack 12. For a betterunderstanding of the structure and operation of the hooks 212 referenceis made to co-pending application Ser. No. 159,261 filed Feb. 23, 1988,which discloses a wide variety of suitable hooking structures and isincorporated herein by reference. Referring specifically to FIGS. 52, 57and 58, hook 212 is shaped roughly in the form of the letter S and has acaptive end 213 pivotally secured in a bushing received by bearing hole214 in one of the columns 215 of rack array 10. It will be appreciatedthat columns 215 extend the height of the storage carousel and form thewalls of rack array 10. The hook 212 has a free end 216 at the end of alever arm 217. Intermediate opposite ends of the hook 212 is atransversely disposed latch bar 219 which is adapted to engage theshoulder 632 of container 13. That is, the latch bar 219 is adapted tofall into the gradual depression in the upper rim of container 13 whichforms the notch 155 as the hook 212 swings pivotally about the wall ofthe bearing hole 214. The latch bar 219 extends through and moves freelywithin a slot or hole 219' in a column 215 of the frame.

Each storage rack 12 includes a pair of hooks 212 mounted on oppositecolumns of rack array 10 in a facing relationship. Thus, a hook 212engages each inside corner that forms shoulder 632 of the container 13to support the container in a cantilevered manner. It should beappreciated that in order for the hooking arrangement to be effective,each rack has a positioning strip and backstop 150 disposed in aposition to be engaged by the bottom portion of the container.Specifically, the bottom of the inside wall of the container abutsagainst the backstop 150. This insures that the container will not dropoff of the hooks.

As the container 13 becomes latched in position on its appointed rack12, it is allowed to lower to finalize the latching engagement.Referring to FIG. 33, lowering is facilitated by a downwardly tiltedexit end 133' of the parallel guide strip 133. The gradual downward tiltallows the container 13 to lower itself progressively until it finallymoves out of reach of the guide strip.

To ensure that the latches have been effectively set, a spring mountedhook setting strike bar is positioned above the downward sloping exitend 133' of the guide strip. The strike bar is positioned such that ifthe latch bar 219 is not fully recessed within the gradual depression inthe upper rim of container 13, the latch bar will strike the hooksetting bar which will press the latch bar fully into its appointeddepression. In the event that the hook is lying on top of shoulder 632of the container as opposed to being in the depression where it belongs,the hook setting strike bar will be forced upwards. A kill switch willimmediately shut down the carousel. It is important to insure the hooksare properly set to prevent the containers from flying off of thecarousel when they rotate about the opposite end.

The power actuated traction rollers 125 of the approach section aredirectly connected with the power source 130 that controls thecarousel's rotational speed. This positively synchronized the extractorassembly with the carousel. With such an arrangement it is assured thatthe containers can be properly loaded irrespective of any variations incarousel speed which might occur due to fluctuations in operation of thepower source. In addition, should there be, for example, a powerfailure, insertion activity as described would be halted at the sametime, thereby to avoid any pile-up of containers at the insertionposition. When subjected to a subsequent resumption of power, thecontainers are then ready to complete whatever insertion activity mayhave been interrupted. Further, in that application of power to theapproach sections 19 through gear boxes 127 is identical at all levels,control throughout the system is maintained at all times.

Alternatively, the inserter assemblies may be electronicallysynchronized with the carousel. This may be accomplished by bringing thecontainers 13 against the detainer 119 as an empty rack approaches. Thedetainer is then dropped when the empty rack reaches a precise positionand the container is carried by the traction rollers of the approachsection into contact with the approaching rack 12. The carousel motor(s)130 and motor 142 that drives the traction rollers of the inserterassembly are driven by a common variable speed controller. The inserterassembly motor 142 is geared to carry the containers at a speedsubstantially faster than the carousel is traveling, as for example, 50%faster. The release of detainer 119 is timed so that the container willcatch up with the rack and abut against the rack 12 at substantially theposition shown by container 13' in FIG. 2. Since the rollers of theapproach section are traveling faster than the carousel, the containerwill press against the leading column 215 of the rack array to ensurethat the container is positioned for proper loading. Since the carouselmotors 130 and inserter motor 142 are controlled by a common variablespeed controller, the containers will be synchronized with the carouselmovements regardless of fluctuations in operations of the power source.

It will be appreciated that if for some reason a container is notproperly delivered to to the carousel in synchrony with the arrival ofthe rack, it may be struck by the preceding or trailing container orpinched by one of the container columns 215 that form the edges of rackarray 10. In such an event, the container could be pinched against guidestrip or thrown clear of the carousel. To prevent crushing containers,the guide strip 133 includes a breakaway latch that will release theguide strip allowing the container to push free of the carousel. A killswitch is provided that will immediately stop the carousel in the eventthat an insertion is missed to prevent the destruction of the containeror any components that it is thrown into. As a further backup to preventimproperly inserted containers from causing damage, it may be desireableto provide netting to catch a container in the event that a container isthrown from the carousel.

EXTRACT, RELEASE AND REMOVAL SECTIONS

When a container 13 is called for extraction from the carousel, it isextracted from the rack upon which it is hung by the appropriateextractor assembly. As depicted in FIG. 1, the extractor assemblies aredisposed opposite the inserter assemblies. Each extractor assembly 8includes a removal section 24 for disengaging the container from itsassociated carousel rack, and an extract holding section 25 fortemporarily storing the container until it can be transferred onto thelift 4. To facilitate an extraction, there is a sequence of operationsthat are motivated by and in synchrony with the carousel. At the extractend 21 of the carousel, the selected container 13 is unlatched from itsrack 12 and, in effect, pulled away from the rack so that it can bepassed left to right through removal section 24 and into extract holdingsection 25 as seen in FIG. 1. The container is then loaded onto aplatform 29 on the down travel reach of lift 4. The lift carries thecontainer to the takeaway conveyor 16 for delivery to the conveyornetwork 14. To facilitate a general understanding of operation of thesystem, it is assumed that the supply conveyor 15 and takeaway conveyor16 are disposed at the same level. However, it will be appreciated that,should the occasion require, more than one level could be served.

Several mechanisms are involved in the extraction of containers from thestorage carousel. The removal section of the extractor assembly includesa plurality of power actuated traction rollers 163 that are synchronizedwith the carousel to carry the container away from the carousel withoutstriking containers carried by the preceeding or trailing racks.Referring now of FIGS. 38-39, a set of lift arms 162 are provided forlifting the free ends of containers 13. The lifting action of lift arms162 enable a second mechanism to unlatch the container from its latchedengagement with the carousel rack. A third mechanism in the form of anauxiliary kick bar 165 is provided to physically pushing containers awayfrom the rack laterally outwardly away from the carousel. These threemechanisms are synchronized with and driven by the power source 130acting through a main drive shaft 160 and an idler drive shaft 161 whichis reached by a chain drive 159. FIGS. 46, 47, 48. It will beappreciated that when extraction of a container is called for, all threeof these mechanisms are activated at substantially the same time. Sinceextractor assemblies are provided at each tier level, this activationcan take place at any one of the multiple levels of the storagecarousel.

When a container selected for removal from the carousel arrives at theextract end 21 of the removal section 24, the lift arms 162 aretriggered for action. A lift arm cam 166 is keyed to the idler driveshaft 161 so that the lift arm cam is rotating at all times duringoperation of the rotary storage system, FIGS. 39, 40, 41. A bell crankcam follower 167 is provided with a roller 168 on an arm 169 and engagesa cam track 170 of the lift arm cam 166. A pivot pin 171 mounts the bellcrank cam follower 167 on a bracket 172 of a frame section 173. A secondarm 174 has attached to it a rod 175 which extends toward the left, asviewed in FIGS. 39-41, to a position of engagement with an arm 176 of abell crank 177. The bell crank is mounted by a pivot pin 177' on abracket 178 on an adjacent frame section 179. A second arm 180 of thebell crank 177 is attached to a reciprocating rod 181 at a pivot point182. The reciprocating rod is long enough to extend upwardly throughoutall levels of the rotary storage system. The train of connection justrecited makes certain that as long as the storage carousel is inoperation, the reciprocating rod 181 is constantly reciprocating.Despite the constant reciprocation of rod 181, the lift arms 162 areoperated only when called upon.

The lift arms 162 with appropriate rollers 183 at their free ends areattached to a common rotatable drive rod 184. The drive rod, pivotallymounted on the bracket 178, has anchored to it a drive lever 185. Thereis in addition a drive link 186, one end of which has a pivot attachment187 to the reciprocating rod 181 and the other end of which is pivotallymounted on the drive rod 184. In view of this pivotal relationship inspite of constant reciprocation of the rod 181, the lift arms 162 androllers 183 remain fixed in position at a location below the level ofthe rollers 163.

A reciprocating cylinder 188 mounted adjacent the end of the drive lever185 is provided to operate the lift arms at the appropriate times. Anactuator pin 189 of the cylinder 188 is adapted to be extended to thephantom position of FIG. 42. When extended, the reciprocating activityof the drive link 186 is passed to the drive lever 185, which in turncauses the lift arms 162 to be elevated to the lifted position of FIG.39. This results in lifting the outside edge of the container 13 whichsubstantially reduces the load on the hooks 212 of latching means 154 bycausing it to be dislodged slightly from its snug position on the rack12. The duration of the lift is determined by travel of the roller 168of the bell crank cam follower on the cam track 170.

UNLATCHING INITIATED

While the lifting activity just described is taking place, a separatemechanism is also being called into action to unlatch the latching means154 from the notches 155 at the top of the inside wall of the container13. Referring now to FIGS. 43, 45, 46 and 52, this relies upon operationof a rotary acting unlatching cam 200. The unlatching cam is attached toand is driven by the same idler drive shaft 161 which is relied upon foroperation of the lift arms 162. In FIG. 43 the idler drive shaft 161 isshown journaled in a bearing 201, attached to a frame section 202. Aflange 203 on the same frame section 202 supports a first lever 204pivoting about a pivot point 205. One arm 206 is equipped with a roller207 serving as a cam follower for a cam track 208. A second arm 209 isconnected by means of a pivot pin 210 to a vertically reciprocatinglatch trip rod 211.

It should be noted in this connection that the latch trip rod 211extends upwardly throughout all tiers of the carousel, parallelingupward extension of the reciprocating rod 181. What is furthersignificant to an understanding of the operation is that the powerstroke of the latch trip rod 211 is in a downward direction, driven bythe second arm 209, while the first arm 206 is driven upwardly by actionof the cam track 208 against the roller 207, FIGS. 45, 52, 53. Thelatching means 154 which takes the form of hooks 212 is unlatched byactivity of the latch trip rod 211 as shown in latched position in FIGS.46 and 52.

Unlatching the latching means 154 and operation of the kick bar 165occur at substantially the same time when triggered by downward motionof the latch trip rod 211. As shown in FIGS. 49 and 50, the upper end ofthe kick bar by its flange 235 is pivotally mounted on a frame section226 by means of a pivot rod 237. The same pivot rod also mounts theopposite end of the kick bar by use of its flange 235' on a framesection 226'. A link 236 to the latch trip rod 211 may be provided forstability.

The flange 235 at the first mentioned upper end of the kick bar 165 alsohas fixed on it a crank arm 233. The crank arm extends to a positionadjacent to the latch trip rod 211 at a location adjacent to a ledge227. Mounted on the fixed crank arm 233 is a pneumatic cylinder 228 at aposition where its piston 229 can be projected beneath the ledge 227. Asa consequence, when the trip rod 211 moves downwardly, FIGS. 46, 54, 55,the kick bar is rotated clockwise as shown to a kick-out position farenough to dislodge the container 13 from the positioning strip 150 ofthe rack 12, FIG. 54. The latches then rest on the flange of thecontainer away from the notches 155.

At the opposite end of the kick bar 165, as viewed in FIG. 49, anotheroperation takes place simultaneously. This is where the flange 235' isattached. For this operation there is a cam follower arm 234 in fixedposition on the kick bar making use of the flange 235'. Both the camfollower arm 234 and flange 235' rotate about the pivot rod 237. As thekick bar 165 swings outwardly, as above described, a roller 234' at theend of the cam follower arm 234 is forced out of its notch 239 on adrive cam plate 232 and along an arcuate cam track 232'. Theconfiguration of the cam track is one which causes the drive cam plate232 to rotate clockwise about a pivot 240 on a bracket 225' of the framesection 226, see FIGS. 53 and 55. By having the drive cam plate fixed onthe adjacent end of the delatch bar 222', the delatch bar is tiltedupwardly, FIGS. 53, 54.

Because there is a connecting bar 231 interconnection delatch bars 222and 222' at both sides of the container 13 (FIGS. 48, 49), unlatchingtakes place simultaneously at both corners 221. The delatch bar 222, asshown, has its tab 223 pivotally mounted by use of the pivot 224 to abracket 225 of a frame section 226. The other delatch bar 222', attachedas it is to the drive cam plate 232, pivots with the connecting bar 231about the pivot pin 240.

By the operations just described when a container designated for removalarrives at the extract end 21 of the extractor assembly its outside edgeis lifted by the lift arms 162 such that much of the weight of thecontainer is taken off of the hooks 212. The hooks are then lifted todisengage the container which is then lowered down onto the rollers 163of the removal section. The rollers 163 are slightly below the level ofpositioning strip 150 of rack assembly 12 which therefor tilts thecontainer slightly away from the carousel to enhance its removal. Atapproximately the same time, kick bar 165 pushes the container away fromthe carousel. Simultaneously, rollers 245 pull the container away fromthe rack (FIG. 38). A motor 249 is provided to drive the tractionrollers. To faclitate synchronization with the carousel, motor 249 iscontrolled by the same variable frequency motor that runs the carouselmotors. It will be appreciated that the surface speed of rollers 245will be slightly faster than the carousel speed since it is desired thatthe containers travel longitudinally at the same speed as the carouselwhile being drawn away from the racks.

The motor includes a dual controller that includes both high speed andvariable frequency settings. During extraction, the traction rollers aresynchronized with the carousel through the use of the common variablefrequency controller. A presence detector 20 indicates when thecontainer is clear from the travel path of its neighboring containersthat remain on the carousel. At that point, the motor 249 could beswitched to the high speed controller which would drive the rollers at ahigher rate of speed.

In alternative embodiments, the initial traction rollers could bereplaced by idler rollers. In such an embodiment, the kick bar would beprimarily responsible for propelling the containers clear of thecarousel racks, with the traction rollers carrying the container awayonly after it had been pushed off of the carousel rack. In yet anotheralternative embodiment, the kick bar could be use for mechanical backuponly and the traction rollers 245 could be used exclusively to pull thecontainer away from the carousel. In such an embodiment, it may bedesireable to use rubber coated traction rollers to enhance tractionbetween the rollers and the containers.

In other alternative embodiments, the variable frequency motor describedcould be replaced by a drive connection that mechanically couplesmovements of the carousel to the rotation of the traction rollers. Insuch embodiments, the rollers are driven by an interconnecting chaindrive 246, that propels the container in a direction left to right, asviewed in FIGS. 2 and 38, to the extract holding section 25.

Energizable detainers 247 may be provided, where desired to providestorage shelves on the extract holding section. Shelves of the extractholding section 25 are substantially the same as the holding shelves 110of the insert holding section.

From these shelves the containers are transferred to one or another ofthe lift platforms 29 as they travel along their down travel reach. Itshould be appreciated that it may not be possible to move the containeronto the first empty platform that arrives adjacent the extractor shelfsince such platforms may be designated to receive a containers from alower shelf. Optimization of the extracting sequence is handled by thestorage facility controller as explained below. Once on the lift,containers are progressively moved downwardly to the level of takeawayconveyor 16. This may also be the level of the lowermost extractionassembly 8.

To unload the containers from the lift, a belt conveyor assembly 248 ofthe type described in FIGS. 18 and 19 may be employed to effectivelytransfer containers from the platform at the lowermost position in adirection left to right, as viewed in FIG. 2, to a location ofengagement with a second belt conveyor 250 which in turn transfers thecontainers to the adjacent pick-up end of the takeaway conveyor 16.

The components of the organizer system described above enable thestorage carousel to operate continuously and uninterruptedly whilecontainers are inserted onto and extracted from selected carousel racks.By providing selectively energizable inserters and extractors at eachcarousel tier level together with the other energizable actuatordescribed, the organizer system lends itself to computerized control.The system also insures against jamming as a result of inadvertentmalfunctioning of the moving parts because the insertion and extractionoperations of the organizer have a keyed synchronized engagement withthe primary drive for the storage carousel. Moreover, since all levelsare interconnected with the same drive, the number of levels employed isentirely arbitrary and limited only by structural limitations. Furtherstill, since the various sections at the various levels aresubstantially modular in their construction and operation, servicingproblems and routine maintenance are materially reduced.

Referring next to FIGS. 59-63, an alternative embodiment of the presentinvention will be described. In this embodiment, the containers 13include pegs 517 in place of the notches 155 described in the previousembodiment. The pegs 517 cooperate with hooks on racks 12 of storagecarousel 13 to reliably secure the containers to the carousel. Thelayout of the system may be as previously described with the onlydifferences being in the inserter and extractor assemblies and theirintegration with the storage carousel.

The extractor assembly 8 in this embodiment includes an elevatingplatform 521, as shown in FIG. 59 and in plan view in FIG. 61. Forlifting the elevating platform 521 so as to disengage the container fromthe conveyor, a lifting cylinder 522 mounted on an adjacent beam 523 isprovided with a piston 524 acting against a bracket 525 of the elevatingplatform, action of which results in lifting the left edge of thecontainer 13' high enough for the peg 517 on that side to clear thecorresponding flange 518. Although essentially a clockwise tiltingmotion is provided, there will be a degree of lift for the right-handwall of the container 513, sufficient to loosen engagement of thecorresponding peg 517 from its flange 518.

To accentuate the tilt, there may be provided a substantially verticallyextending shaft 526 mounted on the beam 523, having a bent portion 527at its upper end. A lower set of casters 528 are adapted to rideupwardly on a vertical portion of the shaft 526 while an upper set ofcasters 529 ride along the bent portion 527. The net result of thecasters rolling upwardly on the shaft 526 is to lift the left-hand peg517 clear of the corresponding flange 518, sufficient to disengage thecontainer 13' from its corresponding rack 12 so that the container canbe moved clear of the conveyor rack and advance to the broken lineposition of FIG. 61. It should be appreciated that it is unnecessary tolift the right-hand peg 517 clear of its corresponding flange 518because the corresponding shelf 520 will be continuing its motion in aclockwise direction while the lifting is taking place, the result ofwhich is having the wall of the shelf 520 push the container in adirection from right to left of FIG. 61 far enough so that uponautomatic lowering of the elevating platform 521, the rightmost poweractuated horizontal roller 530 will be engaged by the bottom of thecontainer 13' and progressively moved in a direction from right to left,with the help of additional power actuated horizontal rollers 531, 532,533, etc., acting as a conveyor for the extractor assembly 8. The samedischarge disposition of the container would apply under circumstanceswhere, in the alternative, both rear corners were releasedsimultaneously instead of by the tilting expedient. It should beappreciated that the shelves 520 are primarily for guidance and are notintended to fully support the container. However, in alternativeembodiments, the more traditional shelves that fully support thecontainers could be provided.

Synchronization between the travel of the carousel 2, the extractorassembly 8 and the inserter assembly 6, is accomplished, in theembodiment chosen, by means of a mechanical drive interconnecting thevarious moving parts, as illustrated advantageously in FIG. 61. A commondrive shaft 535, emanating from a conventional source of power, hasmounted thereon a sprocket 536 from which a chain 537 extends toengagement with a sprocket 537' mounted on a shaft 538 of the carousel.A second sprocket 539 has a chain 540 in engagement with it, the chain540 being a portion of the endless drive for the carousel 2. One or moretension sprockets 539' may be employed to set the tension of the chain537.

A separate motor 541 mounted on the beam 523 is provided with shaft 542which drives a sprocket 543 which in turn motivates a chain driveassembly 547 for the rollers 530, 531, 532, 533, etc., which in thisfashion comprise a conveyor for the containers 13 as they are fed to itby the unloading assembly. Moreover, by an appropriate selection ofsprocket sizes and chain drive assembly 547, the rollers 530, 531, 532,533, etc., can be made to rotate rapidly enough to move the container13' along the disposal conveyor at a speed more rapid than the speed ofapproach of comparable containers while being carried by the approachingleg of the carousel. Accordingly, the containers can be moved out of theway for disposition at a rate faster than they are unloaded from thecarousel. Although a single common drive shaft 535 has been shown in thechosen embodiment for operating all levels of the conveyor rack, therecould, where preferred, be a separate motor for each level.

The same common drive shaft 535, by use of the chain 537 in engagementwith a sprocket 549 on a shaft 550, can be used for driving appropriateparts of the inserter assembly 6.

If desired, loading of containers onto the carousel racks can proceedwhile unloading is taking place as well as before or after thatoperation. For loading, the containers 13, shown in phantom in FIGS. 62,67 and 68, for example, may be advanced along an approach conveyor 556with the assistance of a set of idler rollers 557. Since the insertionand extraction mechanisms operate independent of each other, they couldbe at opposite ends, or at both ends, or even at the sides underacceptable circumstances.

To be certain that each container in turn reaches the loading positionwith respect to the conveyor rack at a proper time, there is provided animpeller arm 558 in response to rotation of the shaft 550. In order tohave the impeller arm act at a proper time interval, there is providedan intermittently actuated clutch 555, the details of which are shown inFIGS. 63-66. Containers 13 are placed upon an approach conveyor 556where, riding on idler rollers 557, the container passes within reach ofthe impeller arm 558 mounted on the shaft 550. By properly timingmanipulation of the clutch 555, the impeller arm 558 rotates in aclockwise direction, as viewed in FIGS. 62, 67 and 69, to advance thecontainer 13 into the loading position of FIG. 69. During this movementa caster 559 at the free end of the impeller arm 558 moves to a positionof engagement with the trailing wall of the container 13, as shown inFIG. 67, ultimately moving the container to the loading position of FIG.69.

As an alternative expedient, by way of example, a belt type conveyorcould be used instead of the idler rollers 557 to move the containerinto the proper position.

The shaft 550, as previously described, is gear timed in synchronizedrotation with respect to travel of the carousel 2 by means of rotationof the shaft 538. As can be observed in FIG. 61, rotation of the shaft550 may be made at a rate slower than the rate of travel of containerstations on the conveyor rack. Once the impeller arm 558 is set inmotion by action of the clutch, it will advance the container at thedesired speed to synchronize its arrival at the loading station of FIG.69 with arrival of the empty rack, exemplified by the shelf 520.

To actuate the clutch, there is provided, as shown in FIGS. 63 and 65, asolenoid 560, a plunger 561 of which is projected into engagement withone arm 562 of a dog 563 so as to move the arm 562 from the clearposition of FIG. 63 to engaged position of FIG. 65 with a cam 564. Inthat the dog 563 has its stub shaft 565 in engagement with the impellerarm 558, the cam 564, being non-rotatably anchored to the continuouslyrotating shaft 550, causes the impeller arm to be moved in a clockwisedirection, as heretofore described. Motion of the impeller arm 558 actsto build up energy in a torsion return spring 566.

At the end of angular movement of the impeller shaft 558, as shown inFIG. 69, a camming roller 567, showing FIGS. 63 and 66, acting on an arm568 at the opposite end of the dog 563, serves to disengage the arm 562from the cam 564. Released as described, the return spring 566 acts toreturn the impeller arm 558 from the extended position of FIG. 69 to theinitial position of FIG. 63. Once the dog has been returned todisengaged position by action of the camming roller 567, a secondsmaller torsion spring 569 serves to hold the arm 562 out of engagementwith the cam 564 until it is again depressed by action of the solenoid560.

The synchronization between the carousel 2 and the inserter assembly 6,together with the extractor assembly 8, is assured, in the chosenembodiment, by the endless chain structure which joins the sundrycontainer racks of the carousel exemplified by the shelves 520. As canbe observed in FIGS. 61 and 70, for example, links 575 are pivotallyconnected to adjacent shelves 520 on opposite ends by pins 576. As aresult there will always be a station on the conveyor at the end of theloading side opposite a comparable station at the end of the unloadingside, separated by a station facing endwardly toward the unloading andloading assemblies. The correct positioning can be assured by thesynchronized timing heretofore made reference to.

Once the container 13 has reached the loading position, as shown inFIGS. 69, 70 and 71, a transversely acting mechanism 577 forming part ofthe inserter assembly 6 is called upon to place the container inposition on the appropriate carousel rack 12.

As the container, after traveling along the approach conveyor 556,reaches approximately the phantom position of FIG. 67, the emptystation, exemplified by the shelf 520, will have reached approximatelythe position shown in FIG. 67. In this position, the inside corner ofthe leading edge of the container will commence to closely approach theempty rack 12. As the container continues to be pushed into the loadingposition by action of the impeller arm 558, the shelf 520 will continueturning until it reaches the position of FIG. 69. At the same time, thecontainer 13 will have been pushed into the position shown in phantom bypressure of the caster 559 of the impeller arm 558, but the peg 517 atthe inside corners of the container will not have as yet engaged withthe flanges 518 of the carousel rack. Engagement is accomplished byaction of the transversely acting mechanism 577.

Essential portions of the mechanism 577, shown in plan view in FIGS. 69and 70 and in substantially a sectional view in FIG. 71, are embodied ina power cylinder 578 pivotally mounted on a horizontal beam member 587,a plunger 579 of which is secured to a bracket 580 attached to a loadingbar 581. The loading bar is provided with a loading tray 582 adapted toslide under the outside of the container 13 to make certain that it canbe lifted to the proper position for ultimate loading at the selectedstation. To provide for accurate movement of the loading tray 582, thereare provided two linkages, on respectively opposite sides of the powercylinder 578. On the left side, a central link 583 is attached by ashort link 585 to the loading bar 581 and by another short link 586 to astationary horizontal beam member 587. Similarly, on the right side, asviewed in FIG. 69, a central link 584 is attached by means of a shortlink 588 to the loading bar 581 and by a second short link 589 to thehorizontal beam member 587. The parallelogram effect of the two sets oflinks maintains the loading bar 581 and loading tray 582 in a properposition of alignment as the loading bar and loading tray are pushedfrom the position of FIG. 60 to the position of FIGS. 70 and 71.Further, by reason of tilting the transversely acting mechanism 577obliquely upwardly, as shown in FIG. 71, the outside edge of thecontainer 13 is lifted from the broken line position of the loading tray582 to the solid line position of the same tray 582, thus providing anupward tilt for the outside edge of the container 13.

As the outside edge is being lifted in the manner shown, the containerat the same time is being moved in a direction from left to right,viewed in FIG. 71, from the broken line position to the solid lineposition. Movement as described causes the pegs 517 to first engage acamming slope 590 of the respective flange 518 so that the pegs willride over the camming slope and lodge behind the flange 518 in each casein the manner shown in FIG. 71. Once behind the flange, the containercan drop to a position of engagement with a ledge 595 where it ispositioned by a stop 596.

By the procedure just described, the container 13 is hung in properposition on the empty carousel rack. The loading tray 582 is thenwithdrawn by reverse action of the power cylinder 578 so as to bereceptive of the next container 13 which becomes moved to loadingposition for a succeeding empty rack.

In the chosen embodiment of the invention pegs 517 and flanges 518 havebeen relied upon as a simple effective expedient for attaching thecontainer to the rack at the proper location. It should be appreciatedthat what is important to the invention is to have the attachment areleasable attachment, irrespective of the expedient chosen. Variousalternatives may be preferred as, for example, making use of a springactuated flange, or instead a spring activated peg. Another alternativeis one in which a movable hook may be employed on the rack to releasablyengage an appropriate hole in a rim of the container, as previouslydescribed, or other comparable structure on the container.

It should be borne in mind in connection with the operation for loadingjust described that the shelf 520 is continuously moving, first aroundthe end of the conveyor rack to the loading position, and thereafterimmediately in a direction from left to right along the correspondingleg of the rack. The container arrives at the loading position inadvance of arrival of the empty station by a sufficiently brief timespan to make certain that there is proper alignment when the powercylinder 578 is triggered to push the container into the station andengage the peg 517 with the flange 518. It should be appreciated in thiscontext that when the container arrives at the loading position, theinside edge of the container is only a short distance from the conveyorrack so that the distance can be immediately closed and engagementaccomplished in a very brief span of time.

As an additional assurance that the entry will be timely, there may beprovided tapered edge section 591 and 592 at the ends of the shelf 520guidance.

CONTROL SYSTEM

Referring next to FIG. 3, a control system suitable for substantiallyautomatically directing the described storage structure will bedescribed. The control architecture includes a plurality of pyramidedlocal area networks (LANs) intended to distribute responsibility towardsthe lowest level. As shown in FIG. 3, the control system chosen for thepurpose of illustration includes a storage facility controller 370 thatcommunicates with one or more carousel controllers 380, 381, and aconveyor controller 384 over a local area network (LAN) 385. Eachstorage carousel 2, is associated with a particular carousel controller380, 381 etc. which coordinates the mechanical activities of thecarousel and its associated inserter, extractor and lift assemblies. Thecarousel controllers 380, 381 may be substantially identical andtherefore the architecture described below in relation to carouselcontroller 380 is equally applicable to the other carousel controllers.Carousel controller 380 directs a plurality of programmable (PAL) boards390 which communicate over a second local area network 387. The PALboards in turn directly control the motors, rams and other mechanismsthat drive the described components of the storage system. Additionally,the PAL boards receive the information provided by presence scanners 20and other components to determine whether a particular request made bythe carousel controller can be safely carried out.

The storage facility controller 370 coordinates communications withexterior computers or controllers that periodically request the deliveryof specific containers or other information. Co-pending Application Ser.No. 158,310, filed Feb. 22, 1988, now abandoned discloses a warehousingand/or distribution system that includes such external controllers. Asdescribed therein, the container requests would typically be generatedin the form of an extended list of desired containers, together with anindication of the number of containers to be provided at any given time.Alternatively, the storage facility controller could be ultimatelyresponsible for the entire warehousing system and/or directly receiveorder requests.

The storage facility controller also integrates the activities of thevarious carousels if more than one carousel is present. By way ofexample, in the consumer products application previously described,there may be six or more carousels each having 8 or more tiers. Thestorage facility controller is also responsible for remembering theidentity of the containers that are within its possession and the actualstorage position of each container (by carousel, tier and rack number).The storage facility controller 370 may take the form of an integratedcomputer that includes a terminal suitable for entering orders orotherwise allowing an operator to perform specific tasks and/or checkthe status of the machine. By way of example, conventional personalcomputers, such as an IBM AT or a similar machine works well.

In operation, the storage facility controller 370 maintains a storageinventory record which records the actual position at which eachspecific container within its possession is located. As previouslyindicated, each container has a distinct identifying indicia. Thestorage record includes a data field for each container within itspossession. The data field includes an indication of the storagecarousel on which the container is stored (or an indication that it ispresently on the conveyor network 14) along with an indication of itsspecific storage position within that storage carousel (by tier and rackarray number).

In the described embodiment, the rack arrays 10 are each assignedsequential numbers. An identifying indicia indicative of the rack arraysnumber is affixed to each rack array at consistent relative positions.The identifying indicia may take the form of bar coded labels that arereadable by an identification scanner as previously described. Aplurality of vertically aligned identification scanners 22 incommunication with carousel controller 380 are positioned two or threerack positions behind the inserter assemblies 6. Each carousel tier hasan associated identification scanner. Additionally, an identifyingscanner is provided to read the rack array's identifying idicia. Thus,each time a rack array passes the column of identification scanners, thecarousel controller is informed of both the identity of the approachingrack array and the contents it holds. This information is transmitted tothe storage facility controller which uses the information for severalpurposes. Initially, the storage record is updated to insure that it hasthe latest information about the storage positions of the identifiedcontainers. Additionally, the storage facility controller makesdecisions about the impending extraction and insertion activities.Therefore, by knowing which rack arrays are approaching the extractorassemblies, the storage facility controller can survey the storagerecord to determine which of a plurality of requested containers willarrive first at the extractor assemblies and extraction requests can bemade accordingly. Further, such knowledge of the approaching rack arraysallows the storage facility controller to determine the locations ofupcoming empty racks onto which newly received containers may be stored.With such knowledge containers can be directed to the inserterassemblies in a manner that optimizes overall insertion efficiency.

When a container request is made, the storage facility controllersurveys its storage record to determine whether the requestedcontainer(s) are within its possession. Assuming by way of example thata container request comes in the form of an extended list of desiredcontainers, together with an indication of the number of containers tobe provided, the storage facility controller would determine which ofthe requested containers are within its possession. Using anoptimization routine which may be widely varied and using as its base aknowledge of how far each rack array is from the extractor assembly, aswell as the status of the lift, the extractor holding sections, and thepending extraction requirements, the storage facility controller willdetermine which of the requested containers will be provided. At thispoint, the storage facility controller 370 sends the carousel controllera message to extract the desired container. The message only needs toidentify the particular rack (by rack array and tier number) from whicha container is to be extracted. The carousel controller thenorchestrates the mechanics of disengaging the container from its rackand delivering the container to the takeaway conveyor 16. After thedesignated rack array passes, the carousel controller reports to thestorage facility controller whether it successfully extracted therequested container.

Each carousel controller 380 orchestrates the activities of a particularcarousel. Referring specifically to FIG. 73, the carousel controllerdirects the activities of a plurality of logic boards 390 which in turndirectly control the motors, rams, and other mechanisms that drive thestorage system. In essence, the logic boards monitor the status of theparticular componants they control and execute a particular command(such as transfer a container from the supply conveyor to the lift). Thelogic boards may take the form of programable array logic chips that areprogramed to activate and deactivate the required motors, rams etc. toaccomplish the designated task in responce to the carousel controlersspecific commands. They also monitor the sensors necessary to insurethat the system is clear to perform their designated functions beforethe requested task is started. In the event that the system is not clearto perform a requested task, they will override the request.

Although conventional computers and conventional LANs may readily beadapted to drive the system described, to maximize efficiency and reducecosts, a novel LAN architecture is described that minimizes or eveneliminates the need for priority interrupts. In the embodiment describeda microprocessor having internal memory such as an INTEL 8032 or 8052 isused as the CPU for the carousel controller 380. The logic boards areeach formed of a single programable array logic chip such as the 20L8.

The logic boards 390 include a carousel PAL board 402, a supply conveyorPAL board 403, a lift PAL board 404, a lift sensors PAL board 405, aplurality of inserter PAL boards 406, a plurality of extractor PALboards 408, a takeaway conveyor PAL board 410 and a safety PAL board414. Each inserter assembly 6 has an associated inserter PAL board 406and each extractor assembly 8 has an associated extractor PAL board 408.

Carousel PAL board 402 controls the plurality of motors 130 which drivesthe carousel. A variable frequency controller is provided to power themotors 130 which are preferably all driven simultaneously. This allowsthe carousel to be driven at a wide variety of different speed dependingupon the needs of the system. If demand is relatively heavy, thecarousel can be slowed down since at high speeds requested containerswill approach the extraction assemblies at a rate faster than they canbe carried away by lift 4. By way of example, the motors may be adaptedto drive the carousel at in the range of 0-50 feet per minute with thepreferred operating range being in the range of 25-50 feet per minute.As a general rule it is preferable to operate the system at lower speedsin order to reduce both wear on the system and energy consumption. Thevariable frequency controller has the additional benefit of causing themotors to gradually start and stop the carousel. The carousel controllerdirects the carousel PAL board 402 to operate the carousel at a specificspeed and the carousel PAL board then directs the variable frequencycontroller which controls the operation of the motors.

As discussed above, there are a number of sensors and breakaway barsdisposed at strategic points throughout the system to detect majormalfunctions. Each of these is connected directly to the carousel PALboard 402. In the event that any of these devices detect a majormalfunction, the carousel is immediately shut down thereby preventing orat least containing major accidents.

Supply conveyor PAL board 403 controls supply conveyor 15, and the beltconveyor assembly 90 that transfers containers from supply conveyor 15to the lift 4. When a container arrives at the supply conveyor it iscarried to the empty holding station 18 that is closest to the lift 4. Apresence sensor S1 is provided for each holding station 18 to detectsthe presence of a container therein. Anytime a holding station has acontainer therein and the next holding station has an opening, thesupply conveyor PAL energizes the appropriate traction rollers to movethe container to the next holding station in a conventional manner. Whena container is present in the last holding station 18, it is held untilthe lift 4 is prepared to receive that container. When an appropriatetransfer signal is received from the carousel controller 380 the supplyPAL board 403 activates motor 95 and actuates pneumatic cylinder 103which lowers the articulated barrier 101. A presence detector S11 (seeFIG. 2) located adjacent the belt conveyor assembly monitors theposition of the container and informs the PAL board when a containerpasses onto the lift, at which time the motor 95 is turned off and thearticulated barrier 101 is raised. The supply PAL board will not deliveranother container to the lift until specifically instructed to do so bythe carousel controller.

Lift PAL board 404 controls the movements of the lift 4, while liftsensor PAL board 405 monitors the sensors which insure that the lift isclear to increment a step. Therefore, an appropriate signal must beprovided by the sensor PAL board before the lift board 404 actuates thelift. From the time a container is delivered from supply conveyor 15,the lift PAL board 404 controls its delivery to the appropriate inserterassembly. Similarly, the lift PAL board is responsible for containersreceived from any one of the extractor assemblies until it is deliveredto the takeaway conveyor 16. To accomplish this, the lift PAL boardcontrols the movements of the platforms 29, transfer assemblies 107 &111, and unloading belt conveyor 250.

To rotate the platforms, the motor 51 for drive unit 50 which ismechanically coupled to the driver 60 is actuated as previouslydescribed. There are several conditions that must be met before motor 51is activated to step the lift up a notch. Specifically, all loadingoperations from supply conveyor 15 and extractor assemblies 8, as wellas all unloading operations onto inserter assemblies 6 and takeawayconveyor 16 designated by the carousel controller for a particular stopmust be completed before the lift is advanced. Specifically, the liftPAL board 404 will not increment the platform unless it receives anenable signal from the lift sensor board. To insure that all suchtransfers are complete, lift sensor board 405 receives inputs frompresence sensors that monitor each of the entrances to and exits fromthe lift. Additionally, presence sensors are provided to check thelowermost platform on the lift's down travel reach and the uppermostplatform on the lift's up travel reach to insure that they are notcarrying any containers. This prevents the lift from dropping acontainer by attempting to carry it over the top of the lift or belowthe bottom of the lift. Any time lift sensor board detects the presenceof a container in any of the monitored locations, it will not transmitthe enable signal to the lift PAL board 404. In the event that acontainer is positioned such that it is about to be carried about one ofthe ends of the lift, the lift sensor board simultaneously instructs theappropriate transfer assembly to transfer the obstructing container offof the lift.

After each incremental step of the lift, the carousel controller directsthe lift PAL board to perform any transfers that are desired for thatparticular stop. If no transfers are desired at a particular step and atleast one container is carried by the lift, then the lift is instructedto increment another step. This sequence is continued until allcontainers are removed from the lift.

To transfer a container from the lift platform upon which it rests to anadjacent inserter assembly, the lift PAL board directs the appropriatetransfer assembly to move the container. In the system described, thetransfer assembly on the same level as supply conveyor 15 takes the formof belt conveyor 107 while the remaining transfer assemblies take theform of articulated transfer assembly 111. Belt conveyor 107 is actuatedby turning on its associated motor. The belt conveyor is turned off whenpresence sensor S1, mounted adjacent the inserter assembly as shown inFIG. 2, detects the presence of the container. Presence sensor S1 ispositioned such that it will detect the leading edge of the container ata point where it is clear of the lift. Transfers to the upper inserterassemblies are accomplished by dropping the appropriate detainer 119 andactuating the pneumatic ram 116 associated with the appropriatearticulated transfer assembly 111. Before any transfer is made, the liftPAL board 404 will check the status of presence sensor S1 as describedbelow to insure that the holding section of the designated inserterassembly is not full. If the inserter assembly is full and thereforedoes not have room to receive an additional container, the lift PALboard will ignore the transfer request and in from the carouselcontroller of its decision.

Transfers from the lift's down travel reach to takeaway conveyor 16 areaccomplished independently of instructions from the carousel controllerby actuating the motor associated with belt conveyor 250 anytime acontainer is present on the lift platform adjacent the takeaway conveyor16. The presence sensor mounted to monitor whether a container is sodisposed controls the actuation of the belt conveyor 250. It should beappreciated that this is the same presence scanner acts as one of theinputs to lift sensor PAL board 405. A presence sensor mounted adjacentthe takeaway conveyor confirms when a container has been carried clearof the lift platform. The belt conveyor motor is turned off in responseto such a signal. After the appropriate transfers have beenaccomplished, the lift PAL board informs the carousel controller that ithas accomplished its designated tasks and, when appropriate, theidentity of any transfer requests that have not been carried out. Itthen waits for further instructions from the carousel controller 380.When the carousel controller contacts the lift PAL board it providesinstruction to increment a step and the transfers that are to beperformed after stepping. In the event of on ignored transfer request,the carousel controller may instruct the carousel to remain in place andattempt to perform the transfer again.

In the event that a container remains on the platform adjacent thehighest inserter assembly, lift sensor PAL board 405 will not permit thelift to increment until the container has been removed. Therefore if thepresence sensor adapted to monitor the uppermost lift platform on an uptravel reach detects the presence of a container, the lift PAL boardwill continue to attempt to transfer the container to its adjacentinserter assembly.

Each inserter PAL board 406 is responsible for integrating insertionsonto the carousel. Thus, it controls the motor 142 that drives the poweractivated rollers of both the approach section and the holding sectionand, detainer 119. When a container is received from the lift, thetraction rollers of the holding section are activated by a high speedcontroller that it is intended to move the container clear of the liftas soon as possible. In the electronically synchronized embodimentdescribed, presence sensor S1 (FIG. 2) that monitors the inserterholding section is positioned to monitor the arrival of the leading edgeof a container at the point where it is just clear of the lift 4. Whenpresence sensor S1 detects the arrival of a container, the tractionrollers of the holding section are shut down. Thus, the containers willbe stopped within the holding section without striking the detainer 119.Stopping the containers short of the detainer saves wear and tear on thedetainer. Anytime the inserter PAL board detects a container within theholding section it looks for the next empty rack. Presence sensor S2disposed adjacent the extractor assembly as shown in FIG. 2, informs thePAL board of the arrival of an empty rack. When an empty rack isdetected, all of the rollers in the inserter assembly are activatedunder the control of the variable frequency controller that drives thecarousel motors 130. Thus, the inserter rollers are driven at a speed afixed ratio faster than the carousel is traveling. Although the actualproportional relationship between the carousel and inserter speeds maybe widely varied, by way of example, driving the inserter assemblyrollers approximately 50% faster than the carousel has been found towork well.

Once the rollers have been activated, the container is carried intocontact with the detainer 119. When the empty rack reaches apredetermined point the detainer 119 is dropped and the container iscarried into engagement with the rack. It should be appreciated that theprecise point at which the container is released must be determined suchthat the container will not interfere with any container on thepreceding rack and will not get ahead of the leading column of the emptyrack yet will catch up with the leading column before the trainingcolumn completes its rotation about the end of the carousel. Sensor S3is aligned as shown in FIG. 2 to detect a precise carousel position atwhich the detainer 119 should be dropped. When the proper position isdetected, a pulse is sent to the inserter PAL board which is triggeredto drop detainer 119. At substantially the same time, a verificationsignal is sent to the carousel controller to inform it that an insertionhas occurred. Since the rollers are driven in a fixed proportionalrelationship with respect to the carousel, the container accelerates andis carried into engagement with the empty rack as previously described.It should be appreciated that with the described controller, theinserter PAL board does not look for a specific rack to place itscontainer on and it does not need to know the identity of the containersit will be handling. Further, the inserter PAL board does not need to beinformed in advance of the impending arrival of another container.Rather, when the holding section is full (as detected by presence sensorS1) the inserter PAL board merely informs the carousel controller of thefull status and disables its associated lift transfer assembly 107 or111. Simultaneously, it proceeds to look for the next available emptyrack onto which it may insert the container.

A plurality of vertically aligned identification scanners 22 (FIG. 1)are disposed adjacent the carousel just downstream of the inserterassemblies with one identification scanner being provided for each tier.The identification scanners read the identifying indicia on thecontainers as they pass by and directly inform the carousel controllerof the identity of each of the containers on each passing rack array.This information is then passed on to the storage facility controllerwhich uses such information to update the storage inventory record.

When an order comes in for a particular container, the storage facilitycontroller informs the carousel controller that the container at aparticular location should be extracted. When the rack array carryingthe desired container approaches, the extract PAL board associated withthe appropriate tier is instructed to extract the next container. Uponreceiving an extract command, the extract PAL board checks to make surethat the extract holding section 25 is clear. If the holding section isclear, a signal is sent to actuate reciprocating cylinder 188 therebyextending acutator pin 189. The extension of actuator pin 189 coupleslift arms 162, the unlatching mechanism and the kick bar 165 toreciprocating rod 181 as previously described, thereby causing thedisengagement of the container from its associated rack. In theelectronically synchronized embodiment of the invention described above,the variable frequency controller runs motor 249 at a fixed proportionspeed in relation to the carousel, thereby drawing the releasedcontainer clear of the travel of containers on adjacent racks. Apresence detector (not shown) is provided to detect when the releasedcontainers has been withdrawn to a position that is clear of theattached containers. Once the container is clear, the extractor PALboard switches the motor 249 to a fixed high speed to carry the releasedcontainer to the extractor holding section. As with the inserter holdingsection, rather than banging the container against detainer 247, apresence detector S4 as seen in FIG. 2 detects the arrival of thecontainer onto the extract holding section and shuts down the variablefrequency controller until directed to transfer the container to a liftplatform. When an empty platform is positioned adjacent the extractholding section the carousel controller will instruct the extract PALboard to transfer the container. At that point, motor 249 is turned backon and detainer 247 is dropped and the container is carried onto thelift platform.

Communications between the carousel controller 380 and its associatedPAL boards may be accomplished through the use of a wide variety ofconventional computers and communication networks. However, in order toreduce the total computing power required as well as to reduce costs andmaximize efficiency, a novel LAN architecture has been developed tofacilitate communications between the carousel controller and the PALboards.

One of the overriding goals of the described architecture is that itminimizes or even eliminates the need for priority interrupts. It hasbeen our experience that with the volume of data that must betransferred between the PAL's and the carousel controller, a logic basedupon priority interrupts is needlessly complicated and inefficient.Therefore, referring specifically to FIG. 73, a plurality of interfaceboards are provided to act as buffers for communications between thePAL's and the carousel controller. The interface boards may be formed of8-bit I/O regusters, that temporarily store received data. In effecteach of the PAL boards may send messages to the carousel controller atany time. The messages are received by an interface board associatedwith the particular PAL board and saved in a temporary buffer.Therefore, the carousel controller can go about its business in anorderly fashion without having to deal with an interrupt. As thecarousel controller performs its designated tasks, it periodicallychecks the various interface boards to determine whether the PAL boardshave sent messages since the last inquiry. It will be appreciated thatthe frequency with which the status of particular PAL boards will bechecked will vary dependant upon the nature of the particular tasksbeing performed by the carousel controller.

By way of example the carousel controller may take the form of amicroprocessor having internal memory such as an INTEL 8032 or 8052. Theinterface boards may take the form of 8-bit I/O registers and the PALboards may be formed of 20L8 chips.

Although only a few embodiments of the present invention have beendescribed herein, it should be understood that the present invention maybe embodied in many other specific forms without departing from thespirit or scope of the invention. Particularly, it should be noted thatthe specific mechanisms described herein may be widely varied toaccomplish the same functions in accordance with the invention. Further,control architecture could be widely varied in accordance with variousaspects of the invention. Therefore, the present examples andembodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive,and the invention is not to be limited to the details given herein, butmay be modified within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:
 1. A lift assembly for carrying containers between amultiplicity of levels comprising:a frame adapted to be mounted on abase; a carrier in the form of a vertically traveling endless loophaving an up travel reach and a down travel reach, and a plurality ofuniformly spaced platforms disposed about the endless loop forsupporting said containers; power means for operating a reciprocatingdriving assembly for driving said loop to carry the containers in avertical direction; said reciprocating driving assembly including adrive block assembly mounted on the frame and a first crank armpivotally connected to the drive block assembly, said drive blockassembly including a reciprocatable driver, the drive block assemblyhaving an extended position wherein said driver is in operatingengagement with said loop and a withdrawn position wherein said driveris not in operational engagement with said loop, said first crank armhaving a first operable engagement with the drive block assembly and asecond operable engagement with said power means for driving saidreciprocatable driver in a reciprocating fashion; and a cam means ofsaid reciprocating assembly for moving said reciprocatable driverbetween said extended and withdrawn positions for driving said loop in astep-by-step manner.
 2. A lift assembly as recited in claim 1 whereinsaid cam means places said drive block assembly in the extended positionduring operation of said crank arm in a first direction and places saiddrive block assembly in said withdrawn position during movement of saidcrank arm in an opposite direction.
 3. A lift assembly as recited inclaim 2 wherein said driver engages one of said platforms when saiddrive block assembly is in the extended position.
 4. A lift assembly asrecited in claim 3 wherein said reciprocating assembly further comprisesa drive shaft, a rotatable member, a pivot connection between oneportion of said crank arm and said rotatable member at an eccentriclocation on said rotatable member, and a pivot connection betweenanother portion of said crank arm and said drive block assembly.
 5. Alift assembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said reciprocating assemblyfurther comprises:a driven shaft having a first rotatable memberadjacent the up travel reach of said loop in a first fixed position onsaid driven shaft, and a second rotatable member adjacent the downtravel reach of said loop in a second fixed position on said drivenshaft; a second crank arm, said first and second crank arms each beingassociated with a particular rotatable member; and wherein said driveblock assembly includes a reciprocatable driver for each said crank arm,the crank arms having respective attachments to the rotatable members;and wherein a first one of said reciprocatable drivers engages aplatform on the up travel reach and the second one of saidreciprocatable drivers engages a platform on the down travel reach whensaid drive block assembly is in the extended position.
 6. A liftassembly as recited in claim 1 wherein said reciprocating assemblyfurther comprises:a driven shaft; a rotatable member in a fixed positionon said driven shaft; and said cam means comprising an arcuatelyextending cam track on the rotatable member and a cam follower forcooperative engagement with the cam track to cause said reciprocatabledriver to selectively extend into engagement with a platform.
 7. Alifting assembly as recited in claim 1 further comprising areciprocatable stop attached to the frame for supporting said platformsto prevent platforms on the up travel reach from lowering.
 8. A liftingassembly as recited in claim 7 further comprising second camming meansacting between said power means and said reciprocatable stop in areverse sequence relative to the reciprocatable driver, wherein whensaid reciprocatable driver is in the withdrawn position, thereciprocatable stop is in an extended position that inhibits lowering ofsaid platforms on the up travel reach.
 9. A lift assembly as recited inclaim 8 wherein there is a rotational interval of substantially 180degrees between the first camming means and the second camming means.10. A lift assembly as recited in claim 1 further comprising a supplyconveyor having a delivery terminal adjacent the up travel reach of saidloop and transfer means between said delivery terminal and therespective platforms for delivering containers from the supply conveyorto the platforms on an up travel reach.
 11. A lift assembly as recitedin claim 10 further comprising a takeaway conveyor adjacent the downtravel reach of said loop and means for transferring containers fromplatforms on said down travel reach to said takeaway conveyor fordisposing of containers carried by the lift.